Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Nov;49(6):301-307.
doi: 10.1097/NT.0000000000000063.

Mushrooms-Biologically Distinct and Nutritionally Unique: Exploring a "Third Food Kingdom"

Mary Jo Feeney  1 , Amy Myrdal Miller  1 , Peter Roupas  1
Affiliations

Mushrooms-Biologically Distinct and Nutritionally Unique: Exploring a "Third Food Kingdom"

Mary Jo Feeney et al. Nutr Today. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

Mushrooms are fungi, biologically distinct from plant- and animal-derived foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, protein [meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, and seeds]) that comprise the US Department of Agriculture food patterns operationalized by consumer-focused MyPlate messages. Although mushrooms provide nutrients found in these food groups, they also have a unique nutrient profile. Classified into food grouping systems by their use as a vegetable, mushrooms' increasing use in main entrées in plant-based diets is growing, supporting consumers' efforts to follow dietary guidance recommendations. Mushrooms' nutrient and culinary characteristics suggest it may be time to reevaluate food groupings and health benefits in the context of 3 separate food kingdoms: plants/botany, animals/zoology, and fungi/mycology.

Keywords: Mushrooms; culinary applications; fungi; health benefits; nutrient content; third food kingdom.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Carlile MJ, Watkinson SJ. The fungi as a major group of organisms. In: The Fungi. London, UK: Academic Press; 1980: 3– 6.
    1. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/. Accessed August 5, 2014.
    1. Dikeman CL, Bauer LL, Flickinger EA, Fahey GC., Jr Effects of stage of maturity and cooking on the chemical composition of select mushroom varieties. J Agric Food Chem. 2005; 53: 1130– 1138. - PubMed
    1. Gründemann D, Harlfinger S, Golz S. Discovery of the ergothioneine transporter. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005; 102: 5256– 261. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weigand-Heller AJ, Kris-Etherton PM, Beelman RB. The bioavailability of ergothioneine from mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) and the acute effects on antioxidant capacity and biomarkers of inflammation. Prev Med. 2012; 54: S75– S78. - PubMed